Two men arrested for hacking a video poker machine and winning $1 million

quote:A Vegas local named John Kane had been the final player at machine 50102, and he’d opted for Triple Play Triple Double Bonus Poker, winning three hands at once at the maximum $10 denomination. His last game was still on the screen: three aces, four aces, three aces again. At payout odds of 820-to-1 he’d scored an $8,200 bonanza.

But the casino had been suspicious, and Kane didn’t collect the last win. For one thing, Kane, now 54, had enjoyed a lot of big payouts that day: in about an hour he’d scored five jackpots large enough to require a hand pay and IRS paperwork. The GCB engineers yanked the machine’s logic tray and EEPROM and took them back to the lab.

quote:Now Kane and the bug he exploited are at the center of a high-stakes legal battle before a federal judge in Las Vegas. The question: was it a criminal violation of federal anti-hacking law for Kane and a friend to knowingly take advantage of the glitch to the tune of at least half-a-million dollars?

quote:With all the appearance of a high-roller, complete with entourage, Nestor was able to persuade a casino staffer to enable the double-up feature on an IGT Draw Poker machine in the Meadows’ “high limit” room. A supervisor immediately reversed the decision, and the staffer went through the procedure to turn off the feature again, but neglected to save the change.

It would prove a costly mistake. Nestor and his crew returned to that same machine 15 times over the next two months, collecting $429,945 from 61 payouts. (Adding insult to injury, the Meadows was later fined $48,900 for turning on the double-up feature without regulator approval.)

re: Two men arrested for hacking a video poker machine and winning $1 million(Posted by HerbEaverstinks on 5/7/13 at 10:38 am to Captain Ron)

He should be entitled to everything he won and if they don't watch it, maybe more for them messing with him, especially arresting him and the other dude.

This is not their fault. Just because he had the savvy to take advantage of the casino just like they've taken advantage of millions of people, this is his fault? No, it's their fault. Like his attorney said, he hit all the legal buttons he was entitled to push.

re: Two men arrested for hacking a video poker machine and winning $1 million(Posted by Geauxld Finger on 5/7/13 at 10:43 am to 50Mullets)

if the guy used no mechanical applications, or anything himself to gain advantage then its the casino's fault for not pulling the machine earlier.

In Casino when the guy hits the jackpots on the slot machine, Deniro bitches out his floor manager for being too stupid to notice. They didn't arrest the guy winning. He was simply pulling the levers/pushing the buttons. Same goes for a weak black jack dealer etc.

re: Two men arrested for hacking a video poker machine and winning $1 million(Posted by TheDrunkenTigah on 5/7/13 at 10:44 am to Captain Ron)

quote:The question: was it a criminal violation of federal anti-hacking law for Kane and a friend to knowingly take advantage of the glitch to the tune of at least half-a-million dollars?

How the hell are the hacking charges going to hold up in court? The employee changed the settings on the machine, which tells me they allow that game mode for certain people with no problems. This guy didn't break into the machine at all.